Radionuclide Metrology

ANSTO is the standards body for radioactivity measurement in Australia. The technical function for measuring radioactivity is housed within Radionuclide Metrology, where scientists employ unique, highly specialised radiation detection techniques to carry out precise measurements of radioactivity without reference to a calibration.

ANSTO maintains the Australian standard for the activity of radionuclides by Authorisation of the Chief Metrologist of the National Measurement Institute (NMI) under the National Measurement Act 1960. As the national authority on radioactivity standards, ANSTO is authorised to provide certificates demonstrating traceability to the Australian standard for the activity of radionuclides to our users.

Radioactivity standards have been maintained at ANSTO for over 50 years. A major capital investment has funded a capability upgrade enabling Radionuclide Metrology to increase its portfolio of primary standards and keep up with the evolving metrology requirements of the Australian nuclear medicine community.

Capabilities

Primary standards

Radionuclide Metrology has the facilities and capabilities to perform accurate primary standardisations of various radionuclides. These primary standards may be verified by comparison with other international radionuclide metrology laboratories.

Secondary standards

Primary standards are transferred to ANSTO's secondary standard ionisation chamber in the form of radionuclide specific calibration factors. These calibrations make up the Australian secondary standards of activity of radionuclides.

Specialised radiation detection techniques (TDCR, 4πβγ)

β and γ spectrometry

Precise measurements against the national standard

Services

Australian Certified Reference Materials (ACRMs)

An ACRM is a reference material that has been certified under regulation 48 of the National Measurement Regulations 1999. An ACRM can be used to achieve traceability to the Australian standard for radioactivity for a specific radionuclide and measurement geometry.

ANMTP has been developed in response to the Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine (ANZSNM) expressed need for radionuclide metrology within nuclear medicine practices. ANMTP can assist practices with regulatory compliance through technical and legal traceability to the Australian standard for important nuclear medicine based radionuclides. One of the main objectives of the program is to improve the health outcomes of Australians receiving nuclear medicine treatments through the more precise administration of nuclear medicine.

Australian Industry Becquerel Traceability Program (AIBTP)

AIBTP is offered to radiopharmaceutical producers and provides traceability to the national standard to assist in fulfilling regulatory requirements and facilitate trade of radiopharmaceutical products.

International responsibilities

ANSTO is a member of the Consultative Committee for Ionising Radiation (CCRI): Section II Measurement of Radionuclides which sets the international standards for the activity of radionuclides within the Metre Convention.

ANSTO is also a member of the Technical Committee for Ionising Radiation (TCRI) of the Asia Pacific Metrology Programme (APMP) and the International Committee for Radionuclide Metrology (ICRM).